It’s been a minute since we’ve read any supernatural romances! While we’re obsessed with contemporary romance and romantasies, it’s always nice to switch up the next book in our TBR.
Today, we’re reviewing F.T. Lukens’ latest YA novel, Otherworldly! We at THP are huge fans of F.T. Lukens, especially Spell Bound and So This Is Ever After. And Otherworldly did not disappoint! The touch of magic and the paranormal in their works really does it for us.
We’ll admit it: we read F.T. Lukens’ Otherworldly in one sitting. Because if you’re anything like us, you love a classic teenage romance. We know you’re curious, so we’ll give you our three favorite things about Otherworldly!
Book Overview
Content Warnings: death, violence, gore
Summary: Seventeen-year-old Ellery is a non-believer in a region where people swear the supernatural is real. Sure, they’ve been stuck in a five-year winter, but there’s got to be a scientific explanation. If goddesses were real, they wouldn’t abandon their charges like this, leaving farmers like Ellery’s family to scrape by.
Knox is a familiar from the Other World, a magical assistant sent to help humans who have made crossroads bargains. But it’s been years since he heard from his queen, and Knox is getting nervous about what he might find once he returns home. When the crossroads demons come to collect Knox, he panics and runs. A chance encounter down an alley finds Ellery coming to Knox’s rescue, successfully fending off his would-be abductors.
Ellery can’t quite believe what they’ve seen. And they definitely don’t believe the nonsense this unnervingly attractive guy spews about his paranormal origins. But Knox needs to make a deal with a human who can tether him to this realm, and Ellery needs to figure out how to stop this winter to help their family. Once their bargain is struck, there’s no backing out, and the growing connection between the two might just change everything.
Ellery’s Character Development
The first thing we love about Otherworldly by F.T. Lukens is how much our protagonist grows in the story. Ever since the prolonged winter has made Ellery’s family struggle to pay the bills month after month, they’ve lost all faith in their goddess. They don’t believe in the supernatural, despite how much their mother continues to make offerings for the winter to end. But everything changes when Ellery and Knox sign a contract, and Ellery starts to have faith again. They learn to have fun, appreciate the people around them, and stop taking on other people’s problems.
The Freedom To Choose
Ellery and Knox’s relationship in Otherworldly is so healthy and enjoyable to read. They make their contract beneficial to both parties, but they also get the freedom to choose. It’s something neither of them has been able to do for a long time. Knox writes his checklist for how he wants to experience human life. Ellery learns about why the winter has only continued in their region. They each choose how their relationship starts and how they want to live. By the end, rather than making Knox remain in the Other World or go to the human world, Ellery gives him that choice instead.
Their Found Family
The side characters in F.T. Lukens’ Otherworldly are another part of why we love the book so much! Ellery’s cousin, Charley, and Charley’s girlfriend, Zada, are a sickeningly sweet couple who would do anything to provide for and protect Ellery. Lorelei, a river nymph, has known Knox in his past lifetimes on Earth. And she’s one of our favorite characters, helping Ellery on their journey, finding information, ingredients, and an undead being. Even a minor messenger god and the people at the diner surprised us. Ellery’s found family makes us believe in love and compassion again, and what more can we ask for?
With a supernatural, star-crossed romance and a lovely found family, F.T. Lukens’ Otherworldly takes us on a personal journey to learn how to choose ourselves and have faith again!
Otherworldly by F.T. Lukens is available April 2nd, and you can preorder a copy of it here!
What do you think of F.T. Lukens’ new novel, Otherworldly? Let us know on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram!
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